The Story Behind These Scars
by Sweet-Lemonade
Summary: Kagami has a hard time with Christmas and his birthday, but no one knows why except for his teacher, Alex, and his brother, Himuro. But, what will happen when Kuroko and Aomine start to get curious? Will he confess to what's been going on, or will he keep it locked up? Dark past, AoKaga, OOCness, sad plot, somewhat nice Aomine, a little fluff.
1. Chapter 1

It's been two days since Christmas. I'm so glad. The only downside is that I still have a pile of presents from my team in my living room. I don't want to touch them. I don't even want to look at them at all. I have my reasons for thinking this way. I don't like to talk about it though. It's very painful.

I sigh and start to sort through the gifts, opening the ones that I know will be asked about later. I reach for Kuroko's first, opening it slowly, a blank look on my face. I don't even smile when I see the pair of shoes that I've wanted for a year. I just look down and take a deep, shaky breath. I love these, but the fact that I got them for Christmas hurts me.

There was a sigh from behind me, making me stiffen.

"Kagami, It's me. Alex." I relax and smile back at her, holding the shoes. She just scowls.

"So, you're just _now_ sorting through the presents? I thought that you'd do that earlier." I stick my tongue out at her, making her do the same.

"I didn't think about it until now."

"Yeah, because you were just laying in bed the whole break." This was true. Whenever I get depressed, I just lie in my bed until I feel better.

Alex goes into the kitchen, looking in the fridge.

"Oh, by the way! I invited over all the people who gave you a present!" she shouts from the fridge, shaking her butt a little. I freeze and jump to my feet.

"WHY!?" I could tell that she was smirking. God damn it, Alex.

"Because they all want to know how you liked their gifts to you." I growl and sit down in front of the pile of different colored wrapping paper.

"Alex! Could you get me a pad of paper and a pen please?!" She didn't answer. She just did it. I smile faintly at her and start to open the many gifts, writing down who they're from. This is gonna be a long day…

* * *

"There! I'm done!" I clap my hands together and let out a deep breath, mountains of paper around me. It turns out, everyone was very thoughtful with getting me something. Kuroko got me the awesome blue and red shoes, coach got me a new apron that I desperately needed, Teppei got me a basketball keychain that I can put on my set of keys for my apartment, Hyuga got a tiger poster, and Izuki got me some good socks.

I was about to get to my feet when Alex comes over and smiles evily.

"Oh, that was only from your team~." My eyes widen as she puts down a whole sack of presents as if she's Santa. I sigh and I reach for the nearest gift. My mouth drops when I see who it's from. Midorima.

"Oh, god. What could it POSSIBLY be?!" I quickly rip off the orange paper and open the box, seeing a bowl with rice details inside of it. I grab the note that was on the inside and read it, laughing a bit.

"Merry Christmas, Kagami Taiga. This is your lucky item for the 25th. Please use it when you are making rice. -Midorima." I laugh even more, knowing that he would probably say this is his very serious voice. It was a nice idea though.

I look up at Alex and hand it to her, my smile starting to fade once again.

"We gotta use this bowl when we cook the rice. Midorima would be happy." She nods and pats my head before going into the kitchen. I look down at the new pile and sigh.

"Better get that done quick before everyone comes over~!" I scowl and glare at the back of Alex's head. I WILL get her back for this.

* * *

I just lay there, feeling someone's foot lightly touching my side. I groan and bat it away, turning over onto my other side.

"He doesn't want to get up, coach! What do I do?" Is that...Teppei?

"Just carry him to the couch and we'll wake him up in a little bit!" Coach…?

"Hai! But what if he wants a pillow?" There was a sigh from the kitchen, making me uneasy. Coach was in the kitchen, probably cooking.

"Then just let him sleep in your lap. You'll like that more than Kagami."

"Hai, hai! Will do!~" There was a hint of excitement in Teppei's voice. I groan and turn onto my back, opening my eyes slowly. I take in the sight of my plain ceiling before I sit up, seeing my team in my living room. My eyes widen.

"What are you guys doing here? You're not supposed to come until 5." They all smile and laugh. I tilt my head and look at the clock, seeing that it's 5:10. I scowl and sigh, getting to my feet.

"Sorry. I've had a… busy day."

"Kagami." I jump when I hear Kuroko from behind me. I look at him and fake a smile.

"Yeah, Kuroko?"

"It looks like you just opened your gifts today." I blink, trying to act stupid. I open my mouth to say something when the doorbell rings.

"Coming!" I shout, noticing that all of the wrappings were gone and all the things are put back. The tiger poster was put up on the wall. I shake away the thought and open the door, seeing Midorima, Takao, and Kise. They all smile at me, even Midorima. I smile back and let them in.

"Welcome. Thank you for the bowl, Midorima. And the headphones, Takao, were the ones that I wanted! And thank you so much, Kise for the picture of all of us together." They all smile even more as they walk in.

"It was a pleasure, Kagami~!"

"I knew that you were looking at those headphones!"

"I hope that my gift to you is of use to you." I nod at all of them and was about to close the door when I hear a familiar voice.

"Are you gonna close the door on your own brother?" My eyes widen and I look at the doorway, seeing Himuro and Murasakibara. I smile and hug my theoretical brother and smile at the giant that goes with him everywhere.

"It's so good to see you two! Thank you so much for the skateboard. It's so cool! I'm gonna hang it up on my wall!" Murasakibara smiles, but Himuro knows better. He just smiles sadly at me. I smile happily and let them in, closing the door.

* * *

"Is this everyone?" Everyone shakes their heads. I scowl and see Kise on his phone.

"We're only missing Momoi and Aomine. Akashi can't make it." I cheer inwardly, not really knowing what to say about the blue boxers that were in my EXACT size. I don't wanna ask and I don't wanna know. I see Alex shrug and get to her feet, bringing out all the food that I helped coach and her prepare. When Midorima sees that we're using his bowl, I see his eyes lighten up a little bit. I smile and set it down in the middle of the table.

Once everything was out, I sit down. Kuroko sat next to me. I gulp when he kept on looking around my house. Everyone was chatting and having a great time, but me. I wanted this to end. Now. I didn't want to open any Christmas gifts let alone look at them.

Kuroko leans in close to me, his breath tickling my ear. I raise an eyebrow at this.

"How did it take you so little time to take down all your Christmas decorations? It has only been two days." I feel myself go pale and I was about to answer with an excuse when there was a knock at the door. I get to my feet and run down the hall, happy that whoever it was that was at the door came at the best time. I open the door and smile, seeing Momoi and Aomine. Of course, Aomine looked bored as usual. My eyes widen a little when there was a small bag in Momoi's hand and a guilty look in her eyes.

"Merry late Christmas, Kagami! Sorry we're late, but we had to pick up a present for you." I smile more and hug Momoi, feeling bad that she went to all this trouble. Look, I'm not completely heartless when it comes to Christmas. I buy everyone a gift I think they'll like and just hope and pray no one gives me anything in return.

"Oh, thanks you guys. You didn't have to do that." I put my chin on Momoi's shoulder, not thinking that Aomine would see the sad look that was making it's way on my face.

"Well, of course we had to! You gave me those amazing bath soaps and facial washes and Aomine a new pair of Jordans. And the best ones too!" I pull away from Momoi, the fake smile on my face.

"Well, I just thought that since you helped me when I needed shoes that it was really nice of you to help out." I look over at Aomine and see the strange look on his face. I just brush the thought aside and let them in, sitting back down next to Kuroko. Aomine decides to take the seat that was on the other side of me while Momoi sits down next to Kuroko and Kise. The two bluenettes beside me were both silent, making me uneasy. I just hope they don't wise up and ask me what's going on.

* * *

I open my eyes when I feel someone flick my head. This annoyed me.

"Who just flicked me?" I ask, a _tone_ to my voice.

"You were falling asleep, Bakagami. God, and to think we came only for you to fall asleep." I scowl at the sound of Aomine's voice. I open my eyes and look at him.

"I haven't slept in 4 days. Bear with it." The Touou ace just looks at me with a puzzling look on his face.

"Why didn't you sleep? What, did you wanna see Santa~?" A smirk made it's way onto his face, making my scowl harden.

"For your information, I never believed in Santa." Aomine just pouts in a mocking way.

"Awe~. Did someone see their parents put the presents under the tree~?" I growl.

"No, it's because…" I go silent, leaving Aomine to wonder what I was about to say.

"It's because why?" I just look away from him, locking eyes with Alex to see the disappointed look on her face. I look down at the small bag in my lap, feeling even worse. I'll just wait until everyone leaves and just hide it away with the rest of my presents from years before. That is until Alex just HAD to say something.

"Hey, guys! Kagami has one last present to open from Momoi and Aomine! I wonder what it is!" Everyone agrees. Momoi just starts to giggle. I shoot a glare at Alex and see that Himuro was sitting next to her, smiling as well.

I gulp and pick up the present, opening it carefully. I sigh inwardly before I take the tissue paper covered rectangle out of the bag. I then saw another rectangle wrapped up too. They got me two things? Now I feel even worse. I take off the paper slowly, closing my eyes a little. That's when I saw the shiny metal. My eyes snap open, my mouth dropping. I pull off the paper in one swift movement, seeing if my hunch was correct. It was. They got me a 5th generation iPod touch.

I just sit there, my mouth hanging open, no sound coming out of my mouth. Everyone started to laugh.

"Ya know, there's a second present in there." I nod and reach back into the bag, quickly unwrapping the second gift. I think I stopped breathing at the sight of my favorite quote on the back of a basketball themed otterbox. It said, "Life is about challenges. It's perfect if I can't win!"

I cover my gaping mouth with my hand, my new iPod to replace my stupid nano and otterbox in my other hand.

"Holy shit. This is amazing." I mutter, not moving a single inch. Everyone started to laugh again. This is the thing I wanted the most, and yet...I wanted to cry so badly. I hold back the tears and put my new iPod in it's case. I look at Momoi and then Aomine, a huge, fake smile on my face.

I'm not ungrateful or anything, I just really do NOT like Christmas. And for them to do this for me, it's sending me over the top. I get up and hug Momoi, thanking her and then go over to Aomine, sitting back down.

"Uh…I don't really…Thank you." He raises an eyebrow and puts his hand out. I laugh a little and take his hand, giving him a bro-hug. It was very quick and afterwards, we went back to normal. I glared at him slightly, but he didn't. He just kept the puzzling look on his face. I gulp a little and turn away from him, clenching my wrist tightly. I just hope he doesn't ask me anything.

* * *

"Bye guys! Thank you for coming!" I shout, waving my hand as everyone leaves my apartment. Kuroko gives me a strange look before he walks into the elevator along with everyone else. I close the door and sigh, putting my back against it and sliding down to the floor. Alex comes in front of me, her hands on her hips. I look up at her, sadness in my eyes.

"Why did you have to do that?" I ask, my voice quiet and pitiful. My teacher sighs and kneels down, putting her arms around my neck. I will myself to not cry and hug her tightly, needing this really bad.

Once she pulls away, she smiles faintly at me and goes into the kitchen to clean up. I get up and follow her, starting to talk.

"Alex, could you please not do that ever again?"

"Hm? Why not?"

"Because...it was so painful." I see how Alex was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. I shrug and walk over to my front entrance, looking out the peep hole to see who it was. I froze in fear. It was my father.

* * *

**Hope you liked it...sorta. This is gonna be like a really depressing story...WITH A HAPPY ENDING! I PROMISE! Please don't hate me if Kagami is a little too OOC for you. It's supposed to go along with his past. So, please review, favorite, follow, whatever you want. Just please give me a little feed back. **


	2. Chapter 2

**In this Chapter, you'll find out only a sliver of Kagami's sad back story. Be prepared to hate someone. **

* * *

"I would like to thank you again, Alexandra, for taking care of my son while I was away for so long. You can leave now." I continue to look down at my hands, my hair shadowing my face.

"It was my pleasure, Mister Kagami, but I would like to stay a little longer if that's okay with you." I cross my fingers that dad lets her stay, but feel my hopes get dashed down once he speaks.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen Taiga in so long that I was hoping to be able to have some…alone time with him." I shudder at the words 'alone time'. I look up slightly to see a scowl on Alex's face. I look over at my dad and see the challenging look in his crimson eyes. I gulp as he looks down at me, his smile evil like always.

"Taiga, would you please start to clean up while I talk to Alexandra, please?" I nod and get to my feet, grabbing the bowls that were spread out all over the place. I go into the kitchen and start to wash everything, listening in on their conversation.

"I would suggest that you leave before I ruin your reputation." Dad wasn't lying. He's a very powerful man and can do anything he wants whenever he wants.

"I care about Taiga and I don't like the thought of leaving him alone with after everything you've done." There was venom in Alex's voice as she spoke. I feel the tension in the room rising quickly as they both didn't say a word. I look out into the living room at them, seeing that dad was about to say something when there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Dad got up and went to the door before I could protest.

"Oi, where'd Kagami go? Who are you?" The voice of Aomine on the other side of the door made me relax.

"Hm? I am Kagami. Who exactly are you looking for?"

"Kagami Taiga. Who the hell are you?" I quickly run over and move my dad out of the way and fake a small smile.

"Hey, Aomine. What is it?" The Touou ace had a confused look on his face.

"Who was that?" I look down before answering.

"That was my dad. He just came back from America." His eyes widen and he pats my back, a smile on his face.

"Hey, congrats with that. Must be nice seeing your dad, huh?" I nod slowly, my eyes directed to my shoes. "Kagami…"

"Hm? What is it?" I look up and see the hard scowl on Aomine's face.

"I want to talk to you." My eyes widen and I was about to reject, but was pulled into the hall before I could. Aomine shut the door and looked at me, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Why did you look so upset when Momoi gave you our present to you? Why did it look like you were about to start sobbing when you opened it? And why did you look at the fucking ground when I asked who your dad was?" I turn away, closing my eyes.

"It's nothing. I'm just ti-."

"If you say it's because you're tired, I will punch you in the face. Tell me the real reason." I open my eyes and look at him, a sad smile on my face.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. It hurts too much." The scowl disappeared from Aomine's face. He opened his mouth to probably ask me what I meant by that, but was cut off when my dad opened the door and whistled.

"Taiga. You gotta finish cleaning up. Oh, and say goodbye to Alexandra. She's going home." I nod and walk into my apartment, leaving Aomine behind.

Right after I get inside, Alex pushes past my dad and fast walks out into the hall, obviously pissed off. I swallow hard and go into the kitchen, getting a glimpse of dad's satisfied smirk. He turns to look at me, his blood red hair slicked back to show his forehead. Dad comes into the kitchen, putting his hands on my shoulders. I gulp, but continue washing the dishes.

"How'd you like your Christmas this year?" This was a trick question, wasn't it?

"It was just like every year. Awful and painful." Dad went silent for a moment before putting his chin on my head, since he is a LOT taller than me. He's 6'10.

"Huh, so you're ungrateful as always, you little shit." I feel a vein in my head throb a little.

"I'm not ungrateful. You know I hate Christmas. After all, you know that you are part of the reason for that." The moment I said that, I regretted it. One moment, I was doing the dishes, and the next, I'm on the ground. My cheek hurts, really bad. I look up at my dad, tears starting to form in my eyes as he towers over me, a menacing aura around him.

"Don't you dare disrespect me again, Taiga. I still can't believe your mother would name such a weakling after such a strong animal, Tiger." He takes a step closer. I try to crawl away, but there was no where I could go.

"Now I have to punish you for what you said." My eyes widen.

"N-no, please! I'm sorry!" Of course, he didn't listen. I hold my breath as I see him bring his foot back. I squeeze my eyes shut and wait for the blow.

* * *

"Hello, Kagami. You look tired." I nod slightly, sitting down in my seat, winching. Kuroko looks at me weirdly and sits down in his seat.

"Are you okay?" I nod and give him a small smile, making him even more worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Kuroko." He just sighs and turns to face the chalk board.

I'm not okay. I have a black eye, five bruises on my left arm and eight on my right. There's a huge ass bruise on my side and I think that one of my ribs is fractured. That's not all, but I think you get the point. I'm beaten up pretty badly. You may be wondering how the fuck Kuroko didn't notice. Well, it's because I've learned to use makeup to hide everything that happens to me. I learned when I was 6. One of my dad's co-workers taught me since dad didn't want anyone to question why I look so shitty. Even when he told her to teach me, all he said was, "Taiga is an idiot and likes to provoke people who are twice the size of him."

That's not true. It's all a lie. All my dad ever says is lies. Nothing true comes out of his mouth except his thoughts and opinion of me. Alex tells me not to listen to him, but…he's my dad. I want to make him proud, but I know that that will never happen. Ever since I was born, that was clear.

"Kagami." I blink and look at Kuroko once again.

"Yeah?"

"We have a practice match today. Remember? With Touou?" My eyes widen.

"Are you serious?" He just nods and turns away.

"It seems you forgot. You better not be late. It's right after school." I gulp.

"A-after school?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?" I sit there for a moment, shaking my head.

"No, there's no problem. I'll be there." I'm screwed.

* * *

I fidget as coach starts to count us off once we were at Touou. My eyes were darting around the room, looking for any sign of Aomine coming.

"Kagami!" I jump and look down at my coach, gulping.  
"Y-yes coach?"

"I called your name seven times and you didn't answer!" I rub the back of my head and was about to make up and excuse when the door was opened with a slam accompanied by Momoi yelling at the one I didn't want to see at this moment in time. Aomine.

I whip my head around and see a scowl on my rival's face as he came stomping over to me. He grabs the collar of my shirt and slams me into a wall, making me cry out in pain.

"What the fuck did you mean when you wouldn't tell me what was going on?! Huh!?" I grab his wrist as he starts to slide me up the wall.

"What does it matter to you?" I whisper, looking at anything but his eyes.

"LOOK AT ME! What is going on!? Why was your dad there?! And why the hell did you look so fucking scared!?"

I watch in silence as both his team and mine come running over to separate us. Two of his teammates had to hold him back while I slide down to the floor, coughing a little. Aomine just continues to yell and scream at me, something in his eyes that I didn't understand.

Kiyoshi and coach help me to my feet and guide me towards the locker room.

"Kagami, I'm gonna check to see if you got hurt anywhere, okay?" My eyes widen as Riko starts to take off my shirt. I pull it back over me and look her in the eye, shaking my head.

"I want Kiyoshi to leave before you check. I'm self conscious." Coach nods and looks at Kiyoshi and nods her head towards the door. He sighs and leaves us alone. Riko starts to take off my shirt once more. I gulp and grab her hands before she could see anything.

"Riko, please don't freak out. I will explain once you see, okay?" She gives me a confused look, but nods anyways. I sigh and take off my shirt, showing nothing. She was puzzled. I could tell by the look she was giving me.

I get to my feet and grab a wash cloth, wetting it before sitting back down. I put the cloth on my side where the bruise is and wash off the makeup concealer. As I do this, coaches eyes widen to the size of dinner plates.

"Kagami…?" I shake my head and wash my chest and back, showing her even more bruises. I look away from her horrified face. She covers her mouth, tears starting to form at the sight of my beaten body.

"I don't want you to tell ANYONE about this. Please, do that. Can you?"

"Kagami, what happened…?" I look down and sigh.

"My dad beat me up…" I whisper very quietly. Riko gasps and backs away, her tears rolling down her face.

"Why would he…?"

"Look. I don't want to talk about it and I don't want you to tell anyone about this. If you, I'll hate you forever. And I don't want to have to do that." I get to my feet and put my shirt back on and walk out, leaving my coach sobbing on the floor.

* * *

"Seirin Member Change!" I look over as everything goes still. I see coach standing at our seats, the tear marks noticeable on her face. I feel bad.

"Kagami, switch out." My eyes widen and I look at Izuki.

"But, I don't wanna! Why are you guys taking me out?!" Izuki just pats my back.

"Your dad came to pick you up. Apparently he didn't know you were coming here." I freeze and look at the exit and see my dad standing in the doorway, that god damn charming, fake smile on his face.

I feel the smile I had on my face drop as he comes over to me. I look around and see that everyone was admiring how tall he was, except for Aomine and Riko. Dad puts his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it a little too tightly and smiles even more.

"I feel a little hurt, Taiga. You didn't let your old man know that you were having a practice match. I would have come and watched you. I have been gone for quite a while. I would love to see what my son likes to do for fun." I swallow around the large lump in my throat and look away, going over to the benches.

"Sorry, dad. I forgot about it until today. You can watch now if you want." He just nods and sits down on the bleachers, turning on his bluetooth. I sit down and just look at the ground, feeling my energy getting sucked out of me by that monster I call a father. If only he didn't come back.

* * *

"Kagami, get back in. Kuroko is a little fatigued." I nod and get to my feet, walking out to where I was in front of Aomine. I smile at him, but he doesn't smile back like usual. He just continued to scowl.

"What are you scowling about? You should be having fun?" He just growls and glares at me.

"I can tell that you're not having fun. You're not even focused. You fucking liar." I scowl and dribble the ball as we start the game again.

"What does it matter? This is only a practice match."

"That's not the point! What the fuck is going on?!" Aomine hisses through his teeth. I raise an eyebrow and smirk.

"And why should I tell someone like you? I mean, for someone who lost to a guy like me, you're probably not trustworthy." This sent him over the edge.

My eyes widen as I see his fist coming at me at high speed. I try to move, but I was too slow. He punched me in the face, sending me to the ground. I cry out and hold my face, looking up at him. Aomine's eye was twitching. He brought his foot up and slammed it down on my bad side. My eyes went wide and my mouth fell open, a loud scream coming out. Once he takes his foot off, I grip onto my shirt until my knuckles went white. I squeeze my eyes shut and scream again, my whole body shaking violently.

"K...Kagami…?" Aomine's voice was the only thing that I could hear clearly. I feel someone grabbing my arms and putting them up as someone else takes my shirt off.

"N-no! D-Don't!" I hadn't put the makeup back on. I open my eyes slightly and see everyone's shocked faces. Coach kneels down neck to me with a wash cloth in her hand. I look at her, fear in my eyes. She puts the cloth on my face and wipes off the makeup, uncovering my black eye. She then moved to my arms and legs, the bruises showing themselves.

I gulp as I feel everyone's eyes on me. I stiffen when I feel someone pick me up.

"I'll take care of him. I guess he provoked someone again. I would have thought that he'd have learned his lesson when he was 8, but I guess not." Dad sighs and starts to carry my almost lifeless looking, beaten body away.

"I will take him to the hospital at once." I let my head flop out of his arms and look at Aomine, seeing the saddened look in his eyes. I mouth the words, "I can't tell you. It hurts too much" to him before I am carried out of the room by the person I hate, but wish I could love.

* * *

**See, I told you that you'd hate someone at the end of this. Gosh, I'm really hauling a**. If only I could do this with homework and all my other stories then that'd be amazing. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so I'm so happy that you guys like this (even though Kagami is getting beat up and stuff) But thank you so much for your feed back! ^^**

* * *

I open my eyes to see the plain ceiling of my apartment. I groan as I try to sit up, pain shooting through every part of my body. Why does my WHOLE body hurt again? Oh, yeah. How could I forget…

I remember getting carried home after the incident at Touou and dad throwing me on the ground before he started to beat me. He said that he had to punish me for giving away that I was beat up. He just kept shouting insults at me and he just kept hitting me. I remember how he said that mom should have never gave birth to something as disgraceful as me. That's when I blacked out from the pain.

I had then woken up in a hospital. I stayed awake for five minutes until I was put back to sleep by the nurses. So…why am I home? How long was I asleep? And what has dad done to me while I was asleep?!

I grit my teeth and sit up, gripping onto the window sill for support. I look around the room and see various gifts from mine and Aomine's team. My eyes land on the biggest bouquet of flowers with a small bear sitting next to the expensive looking vase.

I take the covers off and see that almost every part of my body was covered with medical tape or gauze. I get to my feet slowly and walk over to the present that had caught my eye and grab the card, seeing who it's from. My eyes widen when I see that the one who gave me this was Aomine.

The card read, "Dear Kagami. I'm so sorry for how I acted. I wanted to apologize in person, but you were asleep. Please call me when you wake up. I would like to come by and see you. Again, I'm so, so sorry. I hope you can forgive me. Aomine." I stare at the number at the bottom of the note for awhile before get back up and go into the living room, seeing that dad was gone. Thank god.

I grab the phone and dial the number, not knowing what time it was. There was only two rings before Aomine picked up.

"Hello?" I gulp before I say anything.

"Hey, Aomine." God, I sounded awful. My voice was hoarse and sounded like it went through a cheese grater.

"Kagami? You're finally up?"

"What do you mean? How long was I out?" I hear shouting in the background.

"One second. Let me go outside. I was in the middle of practice."

"Oh, sorry." He laughed a little, a part of my dying a little.

"Don't be sorry! I did ask you to call." I guess he's right. I could make out the sound of Momoi asking him who he was on the phone with. He said my name and it sounded like all hell broke loose. Everyone started to shout my name and the words, "Get well soon, Okay!" I smile faintly as the shouting fades. I'm guessing Aomine went outside.

"Okay, what was the question again?"

"Oh, right. How long was I asleep?" I lift up my arm and sniff myself, gagging a little.

"You've been asleep for about four days. No one knows how you could've slept that long with only a little anesthesia." I look down at the ground, not saying a thing. Then Aomine brought up something that shocked me.

"They also found that you had a broken rib and a broken finger. Man, the guys that roughed you up probably had a grudge or something." I nod slightly, a saddened look on my face.

"Yeah, but I can't remember what they looked like though." Aomine just clicks his tongue.

"I'm sorry for how I acted, by the way."

"No, it's fine! As my dad always says, I tend to provoke…people…" My voice trailed off as I said that, another pang of hurt hitting my heart. There is a silence between us for awhile until Aomine speaks.

"Well, I'm gonna come over to check on you. I'll see you in a bit!" Before I could say anything, Aomine hangs up.

* * *

I pace the room as much as possible until I hear the doorbell ring. I gulp and go over to the door, opening it. Aomine smiled slightly at first, but it disappeared at the sight of me covered with bandages. He comes in and closes the door, the look in his eyes that I can't understand.

""Kagami, I'm sorry." I just shrug and walk into the living room, sitting down on the couch.

"It's not your fault, Aomine. So, don't apologize for something that you didn't do." The dark skinned teen just sighs and sits down next to me, his brows furrowing.

"What's that smell?" I look down and scoot away.

"Well...I just woke up and called you. I didn't have time to shower before you got here." Aomine laughs and puts his arm around my shoulder, just like at our first basketball match. He rubs his fist on my head, making me whimper.

"That hurts…" I mutter, but he heard me. Aomine quickly stopped and smiled happily at me. I fake a smile and get to my feet, popping my my back and instantly regretting it. I yelp and grit my teeth in pain, clenching my fists.

"That sure was smart." I scowl at Aomine who just laughed at his own joke. What the fuck is wrong with him? Why is he acting like this? It's as if he went back in time to when he loved basketball and wasn't self-centered, just like Kuroko told me he used to be.

"What's going on with you? You aren't acting as self-centered like usual." Aomine scowls.

"I was thinking that you'd like me to be a bit nicer to you since you got beat up and didn't tell anyone and then I just made it worse. So, you want me to act like a jerk?" I shake my head, putting my hands up in a means of defence.

"N-no! I was just wondering because it's so…unlike you." I gulp as Aomine just raises an eyebrow and gets to his feet, standing in front of me.

"How is it unlike me, Kagami?" My eyes widen as an evil smirk makes it's way on Aomine's face. I back up, fear overtaking my senses. The smirk looked like the one my dad always wears when he's around me, alone. I start to shake as I see Aomine turn into my dad, ready to hit me. I yelp and quickly sit down on the ground, taking a defensive position.

"P-please don't hurt me!"

"Kagami? Are you okay?" I open my eyes and see how worried Aomine looked. I smile nervously and get to my feet, shaking still. Aomine just scowls and grabs my arm, leading me into the bathroom. I gulp as he pulls me inside and closes the door, staring at me.

"Get undressed." My eyes widen and I blush.

"W-what?!" Aomine just rolls his eyes.

"Not like that, baka! I'm not a pervert!" I raise an eyebrow and cross my arms over my chest.

"Oh, really?" He scowls and groans.

"Fine! I kinda am! But I wouldn't fucking perv on you when you're all vulnerable and shit." I scowl along with him and huff, starting to unwrap my arms.

"You better turn around." He just rolled his eyes and went over to the door and stared at it.

"Happy?"

"Not really. I would be happier if I didn't have to take off all these bandages." Aomine went silent, his shoulders slumping a 's going on with him? He's usually not like this. But…he acts like he cares. And that look in his eyes that he gives me…I don't get it. I've never seen a look like that come from anyone. I just can't put my finger on it.

* * *

I step into the warm spray of the shower and sigh, relaxing my body. I look out of the shower glass and see Aomine sitting on the floor, not looking at me at all. He looked…really angry. Did I do something? Is it because I called him? Is he gonna yell at me?

I gulp and try to shake my thoughts away, but can't. They just keep coming into my mind.

"Thank you, Aomine." I whisper, trying to get him to calm down. The Touou ace looks at me and smiles, but I saw through it. It was a fake. And I would know since I fake a smile the most.

"It's no problem." He looked away, the anger on his face crystal clear behind that god damn smile.

"Why are you angry? Did I do something? Is it because I don't remember who beat me up? I-is it because I called you during practice?" Aomine's eyes widen and he got to his feet, staring at my face.

"No, why would I be mad at you? And how did you know that I was upset?" I look down, not knowing what to say.

"Alex says I can read people really well." That was true, because no one can read me.

Aomine nods and pops his neck, yawning a little.

"That's cool. Hey, do you mind if I take a nap? I didn't sleep good last night."

"Sure. You can use my bed." He just laughs and walks towards the door.

"After you've been sleeping in it for four days straight? It probably has your stink on it!" I scowl.

"Fine, you can sleep on the god damn couch." He laughs more, holding his gut.

"I will and by the way, Kagami. Nice ass~." He winks at me before walking out into the living room, leaving me alone, blushing like mad.

"GO DIE!"

* * *

**I think this is a good place to stop off. Don't you just hate Kagami's dad? He's an asshole. But don't worry, he's gonna get what's coming to him. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so...I don't know what to say. XD Well, here's the next chapter.**

* * *

I step out of the shower and begin to wrap the bandages around my arms when I hear the front door open and slam close. I stiffen and quickly put my clothes on, running out of the bathroom. I see my dad with an unopened bottle in his hands, a scowl on his face. I gulp as he starts towards me, but then stops when I hear Aomine shout from my room.

"Oi! Kagami! Your room smells so gross!" I smile awkwardly and side-step away from my dad, making him scowl even more. I go into my room and look at Aomine who was sitting at my desk, throwing the dying flowers out the window of my room. I smack him and grab one of the vases he was gonna drop.

"Idiot! What are you doing?!"

"The stupid flowers were dying! What was I supposed to do?!"

"Throw them away!"

"I didn't want to get up!" I was about to shout back at Aomine, but stopped myself when I hear my dad come in.

"Oh, Taiga. You invited a friend over? What a nice surprise!" I swallow and look over at my dad, a fake smile on my face.

"Hey, dad! Welcome home." I look down at Aomine and see a smile on his face. The poor, arrogant, bastard. He doesn't know what's really going on. My dad is really saying, "What the fuck, Taiga!? Why is he here?! Did I say you can invite someone over?! You're so stupid!"

And I'm pretty much saying, "I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me." But I know that he won't do anything while someone's here. It's too risky for him. He could lose everything.

"Why don't we go into the living room, hm?" Aomine and I nod and follow my dad out of my room, leaving behind all the dead flowers.

* * *

I shift in my seat as Aomine and my dad chat happily, not really paying attention to me. I gulp as I see dad get up and grab a short, thick, glass and grabbed the unopened bottle of scotch. I watch closely as he pours the amber liquid into the glass until it was filled to the top. I see the confused look on Aomine's face form as my dad downs the whole glass in one breath, slamming the empty cup down on the coffee table.

Dad smiles at both of us, still completely sober. He's drank alcohol so much, it takes a lot to get him even a little buzzed.

"So, your name's Aomine, right?" The Touou ace nods, looking at me from the corner of his eye. My dad just smiles.

"Well, it's nice to finally be able to talk to the one who left Taiga the most flowers." I look down, putting a smile on my face.

"About that…" I look over at Aomine, who was rubbing the back of his neck, "It was sort of, like, an apology gift."

Dad just laughs, slapping his knee. I smile and take the bottle from his hands, pouring him another glass full of scotch.

"What do you have to apologize for?" My eyes widen as my dad caught himself as those words left his mouth. Aomine scowled.

"What do you mean? This is your own son we're talking about." I gulp as my dad turns his charismatic mask into his angry self.

"Taiga is fine. He's a tough boy and can take almost anything." Aomine laughs and lounges on the couch, making both my dad and I confused.

"You know, I've been listening to you very, VERY carefully. And I can't help but notice that you haven't, not once, called Taiga your son." My eyes widen, but my dad was very calm about this.

"Well, you already know that he's my son, so why do I have to give you proof?" Aomine scowled even more.

"Yes, but still. My dad still calls me son. And everyone else I know gets called son by their fathers...well, except for Momoi, but still. I've never met anyone like you." Dad was unfazed, but Aomine wasn't done, "It seems like you want to disown your own son."

My eyes widen as I see a vein in dad's head throb. He downed his glass and got to his feet, straightening his suit, and disappeared down the hall. I look at the smirk on Aomine's face, one thought going through my head. I'm so dead.

* * *

"Bye, Aomine! Get home safely!" The basketball idiot just waved his hand.

"Yeah, yeah. I will. Don't worry so much, Bakagami." I scowl at the stupid nickname I had been given.

"GO DIE THEN!" Aomine laughs and turns on his heel, walking backwards now.

"I'll try my very hardest!" I sigh and wave as he turns back around.

"Whatever! Just go home already!" I close the door when I hear no respond. I start towards the kitchen to make dinner when I hear the drunken stumble of my father coming down the hall. I gulp and start the prep work for the food. I stiffen when I feel my dad swing his arm around my shoulders, the stench alcohol permeated his breath.

"Hey, Taiga~. Let's skip dinner~." I start to shake as I feel his erection grinding against my ass.

"No, I'm very hungry and you need to sober up!" I try to push him off of me, but he just grabs my hand and throws me on the ground, scowling down at me.

"I wasn't asking. I was telling you. Now fucking go into the bedroom and get undressed!" I gulp and nod, getting to my shaky feet.

"Y-yes, dad…" I walk to the bedroom, him on my heels. Once I get inside the room, he pushes me forward, locking the door behind him. He smirks, making me go rigid with fear.

"D-dad. C-can we please not do this? P-please?" I hope and pray he says yes, but tears fill my vision as he just shakes his head, coming close to me. He grabs the collar of my shirt and pulls me up, throwing me onto the queen bed. And before I could even make a sound, it was already over. Nothing's gonna make him stop now. I just squeeze my eyes shut as I feel him take off my clothes along with his. I just hope this goes by quickly, unlike all the other times.

"Why are you crying, Taiga? You know you deserve this after everything you've done." I nod, letting a single sob escape my mouth before my dad got started.

* * *

"Kagami, you don't look too good. Are you okay?" I nod, looking down at Kuroko, a smile on my face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. My back just hurts a little." That was an understatement.

"Oh, by the way. Coach says that you don't have to come to practice until your wounds have healed." My eyes widen and I stop walking to the school's gym.

"You're telling me this NOW?!" Kuroko nods, a slight smile on his face.

"I still wanted you to watch us. We've all gotten better since you were asleep." I scowl at this.

"Thanks for that." My shadow nods and opens the doors to practice, revealing everyone already there. They all stop what they're doing and look at us, smiles appearing on their faces.

"Kagami! You're back!" Within no time, I was surrounded by my teammates. I smile slightly as they all hug me. That's when I see it. All the Generations of Miracles sitting on the bleachers, smiling. I smile even more and go over to them once my team was done.

"Hey guys! What're you doing here?" Akashi just chuckles and puts a hand on my shoulder, making me a little uneasy.

"Well, Taiga, we had heard from Daiki here that you'd come to school today and we all wanted to say get well soon instead of sending a card." I feel my body stiffen a little at the mention of my given name. I winch as I feel someone pat my back, hard. I look to see who it was only to see a Yosen jacket.

"Get better. I heard that eating snacks is good when you're beaten up." I look at Murasakibara with a confused look on my face.

"What the fuck…?" I jump when I feel something being thrusted into my hands by bandaged fingers. I look at Midorima and see him push his glasses up on his nose, turning away from me.

"It's your lucky item of the day, Kagami. I hope you like it." I smile and open the small box. My smile widened when I see a small model of a rickshaw, just like the one my mom used to have…

"Whoa! Midorima! This…this is awesome! Mom used to have one that looked just like this!" I see the small smile that made it's way on the shooting guard's face.

"KAGAMI~! I'M SO SORRY YOU GOT HURT~!" My eyes widen and I quickly duck as the blonde jumps at me, trying to hug me.

"Kise! Please don't jump at me! It hurts!" Kise just starts to sob and wraps his arms around my middle, sobbing into my shirt. I sigh and pat his head.

"Kagami! I'm so sorry! Please get better!" I roll my eyes and smile, pulling him off.

"Don't worry, I don't plan on running into the guys that beat me up again." He smiles and hugs me once more, but was pulled off when Aomine stepped forward. He just smirked at me, making me scowl.

"I see you didn't die like I told you to." I joke, smiling slightly. He smirks even more.

"Yeah, I didn't want to end up like you." I laugh and go around all of them to sit down, my legs starting to shake.

"Sorry, I just needed to sit down." I rub the back of my head, looking away. They all just smile at me and sit down, Aomine sitting on my right and Midorima on my left. Aomine leans in close, making me stiffen.

"Hey, you know. I bet your dad is proud of you for something." I look down, my smile fading.

"No…he's not." I whisper so quietly that I could barely hear myself. Aomine sees that my smile is gone and puts his arm around me, patting my back gently.

"He is, Kagami. He is." I smile and look at him.

"Thanks. I guess you're right." No, he wasn't.

* * *

**Well, now you know why he hates his dad. Can you imagine? Poor Kagami. :'( **


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, so you're gonna find out why Kagami's dad wasn't reported by Alex or Himuro in this chapter. And, don't worry! I told you at the beginning! This was gonna have a happy ending! I promise.**

* * *

"I told you to come home right after school! What is wrong with you?! Do you really want to beaten up that much!? You're a pathetic excuse for a son!" I flinch at the anger in my dad's words, scared that I'll get another bruise somewhere. Right now, I was pinned to a wall, my dad fiercely gripping the collar of my shirt. I could smell the alcohol on him. It was so thick that it felt like I was breathing in the real thing. I look down at the smashed model of the rickshaw I had gotten today, my heart breaking.

"Y-you broke it…" I whisper, reaching out for it, only to have my wrist be grabbed in a wild manner.

"You don't fucking deserve to have gifts given to you! You do nothing but ruin everything! You piece of shit! I wish you had never been born! My wife would be standing here today if it wasn't for your goddamn existence!" I feel tears rolling down my cheeks as I hear this. As much as I wanted to yell at him, to tell him he was wrong, he actually wasn't.

"M-mom wanted me…" I yelp as dad's fist collides with my face.

"BUT I DIDN'T! THE DOCTOR SAID SHE'D DIE IF SHE HAD A STUPID KID! BUT SHE HAD YOU ANYWAYS! THAT'S WHY IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" I whimper as dad lets go of me, kicking me in the stomach. I just lay there, dad going into the kitchen for another beer. He walks by, spitting on me, before he leaves, his intentions crystal clear. He was going to a bar to get shitfaced.

My body started to tremble as his words repeat over and over again in my head. He was right. It had been my fault. My presence in this word is of no importance. I should never have been born. All I do is take up space…but, mom loved me. She spent every second she could with me. She came to watch me play basketball for the first time. She always supported me.

I get to my feet and wipe the saliva off of my face, going into the bathroom to look in the mirror.

"Get a hold of yourself, Taiga. Come on. You can do this. You have been doing this ever since you were 8 years old. You can do this now." My own words didn't do a thing. The person I saw in the mirror was not me. It was someone who looked so pathetic, weak, and cowardice. He had a split lip and a starting of another black eye. His red hair looked frayed and the dark circles under his eyes showed that he had not slept in days and that the stress was getting to him. This could not have been me.

I put my hands over my face and put my head on the wall, sobbing. Dad's been here for only two weeks, and this is what he's turned me into. How could this happen? In such a short time, I've changed from my usual stubborn self into a person that will do anything someone else says. It's not fair! I feel like my own mother cheated me by bringing me into this world just so I can suffer. It's not fair! It's…not…fair.

* * *

"Kagami! Open the door! Now! I know where the spare key is!" I just look at the wall, ignoring the pounding on my door. It was Alex. It's always Alex. No one else ever thinks twice about me. They all just want me to suffer.

I don't make any movement as the door was opened and slammed the closed. The stomping of Alex's footsteps came closer and closer until she was standing in front of me. I look up at her, a blank look on my face. I didn't feel anything. Wait, correction. I couldn't feel anything. Alex's eyes soften and she kneels down, hugging me. I just sit there.

"Kagami…please come back to me…I don't like it when you act like this." This confused me.

"What do you mean? I'm not acting like anything." Alex just holds me closer. I wrap my arms around her as she started to cry, just like always.

"I can't take this anymore. I'm reporting your father." My eyes widen and I push her away from me, looking her in the eyes.

"Please. Don't." She opens her mouth to say something when I cut her off. "You promised. Just like Himoru. You better keep your promise or else I'll kill myself."

Alex lets her head hang, tears splashing onto the floor.

"I know, Kagami…I know you will." She whispers, holding my cheeks in her hands. She lifts her head and looks at me. "That's why I haven't ever broken that promise. I never want to lose someone like you. Your like my son."

I blink, shaking my head.

"But I'm not your son. My mom died when I was 8." Alex just nods and puts her finger to my lips, making me go silent.

"I know. I remember how you told me she had died. You had said that mommy wouldn't wake up on Christmas morning. You said that you waited all day for her to wake up before you opened your gifts. I remember how you told me that when dad came home, you told him this and he went to his room," Alex's breath hitched for a moment before she went on, "And that when he came back out, he said that mommy was dead then left again. You told my how you spent the night in mommy's room, waiting for her to wake up, but she never did."

She wipes the tears off of my face that I didn't even know where there. I sniffled and closed my eyes, not wanting to see Alex cry anymore. I try to will away my tears, but it doesn't work. I feel my teacher pull me into another hug, rocking me back and forth. I cling to her desperately as I try to calm myself, ending up sobbing instead.

"It's okay to cry, Taiga. You don't have to hold back the tears that want to come out. You don't have to worry about other people feeling bad. You just have to let it out. Just let it out, Taiga. You know that all of us love you. We would all be very upset if you killed yourself. We love you, Taiga." This made me sob more, pleasing Alex. She started to hum the tune that my mom used to sing to me. I clench Alex's jacket, my knuckles turning white.

"Alex…is dad gonna kill me? I don't wanna die," I sob. She just starts to pet my hair, hushing me.

"I know you don't. But I will still keep my promise to you. I don't want to take that risk." It still hadn't answered my question.

"Am I gonna die, Alex? Is he gonna kill me?" She didn't say anything for a while.

"No, Taiga. He's not. I'll make sure he won't. After all…" Alex pulls away from me, smiling at me, "I did become your second mother when you were 8. I'm always here to take care of my son."

* * *

"Have a great day at school, Taiga! I'll see you when you get home!" I nod and smile at my mom as she started to drive away. She waves and I wave back, running through the gates of my school. I smile even more as I see Himuro walking into our school. This year, he was in 3rd grade, meaning I was in 2nd. I wave at him and he waves back, a smile on his face. He comes over to me and pats my head, his friends giving him weird looks as they walk up behind him.

"Hey, little bro. Your mom drop you off?" I nod, hugging my big brother's arm.

"Yeah! And we got to go to a basketball game yesterday! It was so fun! I wish you had been there, though." I pout at the end of my sentence, Himuro's friends blushing a little at my innocence. Himuro laughs and kisses my nose, just like he always does.

"I didn't want to spoil your mother-son day." I smile at him and nod.

"Okay!" Big brother smiles and looks at his watch.

"Well, you better get to class or you're gonna be late." I nod and run off, waving at him. He waves back and starts towards his class.

I start to walk to class when I overhear something. It sounded like my brother and another lady. I go over to where the voices are and peek inside, seeing Himuro and a tall, blond haired lady with pink glasses. I blink as I hear the next thing that was said.

"So, you want me to train you and this boy named Taiga, huh?" Himuro nods and looks up at her, hope in his eyes. The lady sighs and shrugs.

"I'll just have to see you and Taiga play, but I don't see him anywhere." I smile and run in, Himuro's eyes widening. I bow and smile up at the lady.

"I'm Kagami Taiga! It's nice to meet you!" She just stood there for a moment before squealing and picking me up, spinning me around.

"Oh my goodness! He's so cute!" I whimper as she squeezes me against her breasts.

"Ow…this hurt." I mumble, making her gasp.

"I'm sorry." She says as she puts me down. She then smiles and bows like I had done before.

"The name's Alexandra Garcia, but you can call me Alex!" I smile and put my hand out, grabbing hers.

"I like you, Alex." She smiles and kneels down, ruffling my hair.

"I like you too, Kagami."

* * *

**I'll admit, I almost cried while I was writing this. I'm so sorry that it was sad and I know that this isn't how they met Alex, but in this fanfic, it is. So deal with it. And by the way, if I were to ever encounter a younger Kagami, I would die of cuteness. I mean, wouldn't we all?**


	6. Chapter 6

**6th chapter here we are! Enjoy...sorta...XD**

* * *

My eyes snap open, my vision blurry. I sit up and rub my eyes, making sure I'm awake. I lean against my headboard and look out the window, just taking everything.

It's been awhile since I've dreamt about how Alex and I met. I smile faintly as I remember how everything went when mom and her met. It was as if they were sisters. It was really fun…but then mom died…

I shake my head and get out of my bed, going to the bathroom to shower. I look in the mirror to see the stranger again, but he looked a little better. His split lip was starting to heal, but his black eye was clear as the day. I sigh and look down at the bottle of concealer and foundation. I shake my head and go over to the shower, turning on the water.

I go into the shower and wash my body and hair quickly, not wanting dad to wake up. When I get out, I change into my uniform and look in the mirror, starting to apply the makeup to my face, concealing the black eye completely. I look at my split lip and curse under my breath.

"Shit. How do I do this? Rebeca didn't teach me how to cover up split lips!" Rebeca was my dad's receptionist. She was the one who taught me how to use makeup. And when she asked why I needed to cover up my bruises my dad replied with, "Because Taiga likes to provoke people and I don't want to explain this every single time someone asks about it."

Rebeca was then fired 3 weeks later. I have a hunch about the reason. She kept asking me who was beating me up and I just said, "I can't tell you."

I'm guessing dad heard us one time.

I sigh and grab my bag, going out of the bathroom. At least no one will see the black eye.

* * *

I look out the window from my seat, not paying attention to anything my teacher says. That is until he calls me out.

"Mr. Kagami! Please answer the equation on the board!" I look up at the front, my eyes widening. The problem was so complex and it looked like not even coach would be able to answer it.

"U-uh…can I pass?" Everyone started to laugh as my teacher pushed his glasses up his nose, infuriated with me.

"Just because this is your second day back from the hospital does not mean I will give you any slack." I scowl and stand up.

"I didn't expect you to! Who asked you anyways!" I shout, walking out.

When I was at the park down the block from my school, I finally stop walking. I slam my fist against a wall as I realize what I just did.

"Shit! I just fucked everything up!" I shout, not noticing the kids playing in the park until I hear a lot of gasps. I look over and see a bunch of mothers looking at me, disapproving stares boring into my head. I look down, sighing. I quickly walk away.

"Oi! Kagami! It's not good to curse in front of children!" My eyes widen and I whip around, seeing Aomine was his uniform jacket slung over his shoulder. His tie was undone and it looked like he was a man just coming back from work. I gulp as he comes closer and closer.

Once he was in front of me, I scowl. He just smiles even more and puts his arm around my shoulders, starting to lead me away from the park.

"So what's this about fucking everything up?" I look down before I answered.

"I pretty much told off my teacher. He hated me before and I bet he hates me even more now." Aomine inhales sharply, making a pained face.

"I've done that before. It was not good." I look at him sarcastically, asking him if I needed to reply. He laughs and hits me gently, making me winch.

"Don't give me that look!" I laugh a little and stop walking, making him raise an eyebrow.

"Well, it's been fun, Aomine, but I should go back to school." He makes a disgusted face, as if he smelt something awful.

"School's for people who have no lives and are like Tetsu, no offence against him. He's just sometimes…you know what I mean." I shrug.

"I get your point, but still. I gotta." The dark skinned teen just threw his hands into the air, smiling.

"You don't gotta. You just don't wanna get in trouble," He turns to leave, smiling back at me, "I knew you were too scared to do it." My eye twitches.

"Fine! I'll do it!"

"Great! Now, come on! Let's go get some frozen yogurt!" I sigh as I realize that he was baiting me. Too late now.

"Okay, let's go."

* * *

"Thank you! Come again!" I wave to the nice storekeeper and start to eat my frozen yogurt. I had gotten raspberry flavour since I love raspberries. Aomine got the same thing, but he was almost finished with his. He looks at his small bowl then at mine, taking the small spoon and trying to steal some of mine. I quickly move mine out of the way and glare at him. He glares back as he throws his bowl away.

"Hey, you should give me some of that." I raise an eyebrow and start to eat the yogurt slowly, making him scowl more.

"GIVE IT, KAGAMI!" I shake my head and start to run away, him running after me. I laugh as I see how serious he is about this god damn yogurt. I smile and start to run through random alleyways and taking sharp turns. I lost Aomine within minutes.

I smile to myself and start to eat my frozen treat, walking down the streets randomly. That's when I hear whispering behind me. I look over and see a group of girls blush and look away, whispering again. I raise an eyebrow at this, but just shrug and start to walk again. But something they said made me freeze.

"Isn't that Kaga-Co.'s owner? Wait, no. It looks like the owner's son! But I didn't know he had a son. Why haven't we heard about this?" I look down and throw my yogurt away, losing my appetite. I walk over to the girls and stand over them, my hair shadowing one of my eyes. They look up at me, almost shaking in their shoes.

"You were talking about my father?" I ask, my voice low and dark. They gulp and nod.

"U-um…Y-yes, w-we were…y-you're h-his son?" I nod slowly, looking away. They all smile and almost cling to me.

"Is it true about what they say about him? That he's so hot and that's he's the nicest person ever!? Is he a good father? I bet he is!" I look down, a scowl taking over my features.

"Don't believe everything the media says, it's not always true." I shrug the girls off and walk off, shoving my hands into my pockets. I just smirk as I hear them from behind me.

"I wonder what he meant by that…"

"TAIGA KAGAMI! WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU WALKING AROUND TOWN WHEN YOU SHOULD BE AT SCHOOL!?" I stiffen and get ready to run, but was pulled back by someone. I look over and see that it's Alex, making me relax. Wait, ALEX!? I smile awkwardly and rub the back of my head. She just scowls and starts to yell at me, almost everyone directing their attention our way. That's when I see it. A camera. My eyes widen and I cover Alex's mouth, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"Someone's recording us. Please stop." She pushed me back, surprising me.

"NO! TAIGA! I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THE GODDAMN OWNER OF KAGA-CO. HAS A SON!" I put my hands up in defence, trying to calm her down. She doesn't. She just continues to shout.

I sigh and bow, not looking her in the eye.

"I am truly sorry, Alex. I was having a very rough day at school and my teacher pissed me off so I…I told him off…then ran off…" Alex was silent. This was unnerving. I look up and she hits me on top of the head, making me jump back. Her eyes widen at how scared I looked just from her doing that. She sighs and grabs my hand, starting to drag me away. We were trying to get away from the camera, but sadly, it kept following us.

* * *

"Taiga. Let me see your eye." I shake my head as she keeps trying to wipe the makeup off of my face. She finally grabs the back of my neck and pulls me down to eye level, growling. I gulp and close my eyes, letting her wash them. That's when she gasped and hugged me.

"It happened again, Alex…it was before you came over…and when dad left." Her breathing was uneven as she tried to remain composed. I hold her close and start to pet her hair. "Don't worry, Alex. I'll be fine. You don't have to care so much. God knows he doesn't."

She nods and pulls away, wiping away the single tear that escaped. I smile down at her and cover my eye.

"Do you have any makeup on you? I don't want Aomine to find me and-."

"And to have me see that?" I stiffen and turn around, seeing Aomine standing in the doorway, the camera that had started to record us back on the streets in his hand. I gulp and try to walk past him, but he blocks the door.

"You're such a fucking liar. You said that you wouldn't go near the person that beat you up. And you said that you didn't know who it was." I look down, a lump in my throat.

"Look, Aomine. I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me. It's not like this isn't the first time this has happened." I slap my hand over my mouth, my eyes wide as I see Aomine's face change from angry to shocked. "What?"

I clench my teeth and push him out of the way, stomping out of the bathroom Alex had lead me to. Before anyone could stop me, I run off. I don't stop until I'm all alone in a large park. I go over to a tree and sit down at the base, curling up into a ball, starting to sob. I never thought that it would end up like this. I had hoped that none of my friends would find out, but I know that Aomine will now ask questions and he'll go and ask Alex. And then…he'll finally find out. After that, I don't know what's gonna happen, and frankly, I don't wanna know.

* * *

**Done. I'm sorry if it's not that good this chapter, but I'll improve the next one. **


	7. Chapter 7

**So, I'm happy to continue this one because I just got some motivation (not like I didn't have it before) from one of my favorite AoKaga and GrimmIchi shippers. I nearly fainted. BUT! I shall make this (or try to) make this one of the best chapters. Sound good? I bet.**

* * *

"I'm home." Dad puts down the newspaper he was reading, a hard scowl on his face.

"Well, how was school?" My eyes widen at the question. Dad never, EVER asks me how school went. Mostly because he could care less.

"This is a trick question, isn't it?" He just laughs and gets to his feet, his iPhone in his hand. I gulp as he comes over to me, pressing play on a youtube video. It showed Alex and I fighting and her yelling that I was the owner of Kaga-Co.'s son.

I feel myself start to shake as I see who posted it. Aomine. Dad stops the video and looks down at me, his eyes shadowed by his hair that is usually slicked back, but for some reason, today was an exception. I try to back away, but he just grabs my shoulder and stops me from fleeing.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't think that-."

"Of course you didn't think. It's almost as if you have no fucking brain in that thick skull of yours." I look down, his insult going on the list of all the others.

"D-dad, there's no need to make me feel worse than I already do…" There was a slight chuckle from him, making me put my guard up.

"Oh, really? You think that you deserve to feel better? After all the things you've done? Now, what makes you think that? You did, after all, kill your mother." I clench my fist and look him dead in the eye, a scowl on my face.

"It's not like I could have done anything to stop her from having me! It's not my fault that she wanted me! If only I had a goddamn time machine then I would go back and stop her! That way I wouldn't have you as a father!" Everything went silent. My eyes were wide and filled with fear as I feel dad's anger grow more and more every second. I've never said anything like that to dad because I'm so scared. But after him saying for the thousandth time that I killed mom just made me snap.

"I-I didn't mean to say that… I-I'm so-sorry…" The murderess look in his eyes just grew more gruesome. I quickly brush hand off my shoulder and run down the hall, him running after me.

"I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU LIKE I SHOULD HAVE YEARS AGO! YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!" I slam my door closed and lock it, grabbing my phone. Dad starts to bang on my door. It sounded like he was gonna break it.

I dial Alex's number, tears rolling down my face. It didn't take her any time to answer her phone.

"Well, well, well. What are you calling me for, huh?" I ignore her comment.

"Alex! He's gonna kill me! He's finally gonna kill me! Help me, please!" My voice was hysterical and cracking with every sob that ripped through my chest.

"W-wait, Kagami. Calm down. I can barely understand you." I try to take deep breaths, but the pounding on my door told me otherwise.

"Dad! H-he's gonna kill me! Help me! Please!" Alex finally understood.

"I'll be right over! Where are you?!"

"I-In my room with my door locked."

"Stay there. I'm calling the police." My eyes widen at this.

"N-no! Don't! Dad'll get mad!"

"JESUS, KAGAMI! DO YOU WANT TO DIE?!"

"N-no! B-but I don't want dad to be mad! He'll hurt me more!"

"IF HE'S IN PRISON HE WON'T BE ABLE TO TOUCH YOU! THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE GONNA STOP ME FROM CALLING THIS TIME!" Before I could argue more, Alex hung up. I was about to call her again when my door finally gave in, my dad standing in the doorway. I froze in fear when I see the knife in his hand, twirling it as he walked over to me. I try to back up, but my legs couldn't work properly. I fell and land on my butt, looking up at the looming figure in front of me.

"Say hello to your mother for me, Taiga." I squeeze my eyes shut and pray, I don't know who to, but I just pray. The only thing I thought was, "Please save me. I don't wanna die yet." That's when the searing pain started.

* * *

"Taiga…" I open my eyes slightly, a bright light hurting my eyes.

"Eh…who's there?" I sit up and look around, freezing at the sight in front of me. I reach out, tears forming. "Mom…?"

Mom just smiles and takes a step back.

"Yes, Taiga. I've come to see you." I hang my head, saltwater rivers running down my cheeks.

"A-am I dead? D-did dad finally kill me?" I let out a sob, seeing how my prayers haven't been answered.

"No, you are not yet. I need you to wake up. Can you do that for me, honey?" I look up and see mom starting to cry, "I don't want you to miss out on the life you have ahead of you."

I get to my feet and start towards her, but stop when she shakes her head, her long, bright red hair swinging with her head.

"No, don't come close to me, or else I won't be able to let go of you." I close my eyes and grip my hair, screaming.

"But I don't want to wake up! I don't want to live with the guilt of you dying because of me!" Mom giggles, making me open my eyes once again.

"Oh, Taiga. It's not your fault. I wanted to have you. No matter what your father had said, I still had you. I love you so much and I am so proud of you." She smiles more at me, "I'm just so happy to see the man you've grown up to be and I'm happy that I got to see you after all those years."

I look at her, smiling faintly.

"Thank you, mom. I love you too." She smiled once more and turned to walk away, but not without looking at me from over her shoulder.

"Now, when you wake up, I want you to open all of your Christmas present's that remain unopened. And the birthday presents too. I want you to do that for me. It doesn't matter how hard you cry or how much you scream, you need to get it all out. You hear me?" I nod and wave to her as she starts to disappear, leaving me alone in this, blank, white world.

* * *

"He's waking up! His heart is stabilizing!" I groan a little as I open my eyes slowly, seeing the faces of many doctors and nurses around me. They all smile at me, clapping.

"Welcome back from the dead!" I give them all a confused look, but then remember my talk with mom. I smile faintly and start to take off the oxygen mask, but was told not to. I sigh and look up at the plain ceiling, seeing one of the nurses leave the room.

"Where is she going?" I ask weakly. A doctor smiles more and takes off his gloves that had blood on them, my blood.

"She's going to tell your friends that they can see you now." My eyes widen.

"They're here to see me?" He nods and starts to tidy up.

"You know, you're one lucky guy. You were dead for 5 whole minutes." My mouth drops, making him laugh.

"W-what!? I-it was that serious?!" The doctor went silent for a moment before he replies.

"Yes, that broken rib I mended awhile back was about to puncture your heart and you had 2 inch deep cuts on almost every part of your body." I gulp and close my eyes.

"How am I still alive?" I whisper this to myself, not expecting the man to answer.

"Because you have a reason to live."

I open my mouth to reply when the door opened. I open my eyes and turn my head, seeing Alex and my whole team with tears staining their cheeks. I smile weakly as they all surround me, sobbing out words like, "We thought you were dead!" or, "Don't scare us like that again, Bakagami!" I just smiled more at this.

"Hey, guys. I'm fine, see?" I hear a chuckle from the doctor. I look over at him.

"The word; fine. The definition; Fucked up, Insecure, Narcissistic, and Emotional." I blink, surprised he would say that.

"You just got deep, Mr. Doctor man." He laughs more and shrugs.

"Just telling you the definition of fine, Mr. Kagami." I laugh, coughing afterwards. This worried everyone.

"Taiga, just rest! Please!" I nod, smiling at my coach.

"I will, coach. I promise." She smiles and moves aside as Alex comes forward, a scowl on her face along with the tears. I look down, sighing.

"I know, I know. I should have told everyone a long time ago. I'll tell them once I get out of here, okay?" Alex nods and turns to leave when I speak up again.

"I got to talk to mom."

"What did she say?" I take a deep breath before I recite every single word she said. Alex didn't say another word. She just walked out of the room, her breathing hitching with every breath she took.

I sigh and close my eyes, yawning weakly. I know that I'll be having a lot of visitors and a lot of gifts in the next few days. I'll have to throw out dying flowers again. I make a face at the thought, everyone around me laughing a little.

"What that face for, Baka?" I turn my head their way and groan.

"If any of you get me a gift, please don't give me flowers. I had to throw so many out last time and my whole apartment smelled like flowers that were on fire for about a week." They laugh even more, except for Kuroko.

"Alex told us that you know who did this." My eyes widen, but then drop to stare at the floor, a guilty look on my face.

"Yeah, I do." Kuroko didn't ask who. He said something else that was even more horrifying.

"They also found signs of you being raped. Is this all true, Kagami?" I gulp and nod, making everyone gasp, "Who did this to you?"

I smile and look at them.

"My dad." Kuroko's eyes widen in shock and horror, his mouth gaping.

"...What? Y…your dad?"

"Yes, my dad did this to me." Coach covered her mouth, crying just like when she saw all the bruises.

"Why did he do that?" she sobs out, knowing that she's been wondering that the whole time.

"Because he blames me for my mom dying." They all open their mouths to ask more questions when I cut them off, "Let me explain."

They all nod and sit down as if I was reading a story. I laugh at this and begin.

"My mom was never supposed to have a child and when she got pregnant, the doctor said that she'd die at a very young age, but she had me anyways. Once I was born, dad started to stay at work all the time and whenever he got off, he'd go to a bar just so he didn't have to see me. I was fine with this because as long as I had mom, was never alone." I gulp as my mouth started to get dry, "But then…on Christmas morning when I was 8 years old, I got up and went to wake up mom, but she wouldn't wake up. I sat there for hours, shaking her. Finally, I went into the living and waited for her to get up, but dad came home before she could. He asked me why all the presents hadn't been opened and I said that mom was still asleep.

"He went into his room and came back out moments later, telling me she's dead, and then he left. That night I slept in mom and dad's bed, thinking that she was gonna wake up, but she never did. Dad blamed me for this. It wasn't even two days later that he started to beat me. He eventually had one of his female employees teach me how to put on makeup. It was always the same, dad going to work, then to a bar, then comes home to beat his kid. This cycle went on for two years when finally, on my 10th birthday, I asked him if he couldn't beat me that day. He said that we could do something more fun and…"

I take a deep, shaky breath and run a hand through my hair. I haven't told anyone about this in so long that it hurts, a lot.

"H-he then dragged me into his room and…raped me for the first time. That was the day the cycle changed. Every month, he'd rape me once or twice to get rid of his sexual frustration. It's been that way ever since."

No one spoke, they just sat there, paralyzed. I look up and Himuro in the doorway, a sad smile on his face. I then noticed that Murasakibara was standing next to him, his normally calm face covered with shock and disgust. He had his cell phone in his hand and it looked like he had recorded what I had said. My eyes widen and I reach out to him, but wince in pain.

"D-delete that! N-now!" He shakes his head.

"No. I'm sending it to everyone but Mine-chin." I look at him, puzzled by this statement.

"Why not Aomine too?" The giant smiles faintly.

"I think he'd like to hear it from you in person."

* * *

**Welp, I'm gonna wrap it up there. Guys, I started to cry while writing this. I'm sorry that it took so long for Kagami to FINALLY tell his teammates what was going on. I bet that Alex is very proud of him for doing this, and for letting Murasakibara send the video. Well, almost. He didn't fight that much for him to delete it, so...yeah. Hope you liked this chapter and stuff. See you next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm sorry that this took me a little longer than I thought, but here it is! The next chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

I look out the dark window, seeing all the stars in the night sky. The tears that had rolled down my face had finally stopped. It had been an awful day. All the "Generations of Miracles" had come to see me because Himuro's god damn teammate sent the video of me confessing what had happened. Midorima asked what had happened to the rickshaw and I just had to tell him. It would have been fine if it was just him (since they all came in one at a time) but he had Takao with him. He was the one who cried the most.

I sigh and close my eyes, listening to the beeping of the heart monitor, hearing my own heart. It had gotten very lonely here very quickly. Because of my insurance, I got a room all to myself. Visiting hours are still open, since at this hospital, visiting hours are actually 24 hours a day. So if dad wanted to come and finish me off, he could do it.

I shudder at the thought and wake myself up a little more. At this rate, I'll never sleep. I shift slightly and winch, one of the many stab wounds hurting me.

"Just great." I mutter, grabbing my cell phone. I still haven't found out a way to tell Aomine that I need to talk to him. I sigh and open my contacts, clicking on his name.

"Hey." It took less than a minute for him to respond.

"Hey, Bakagami." I don't get mad at the comment. I laugh a little, actually.

"Whatever man. Look I need to talk to you. Face to face."

"Fine. Where do you wanna meet up?" I bite my lip as I type the awful news to him.

"Well…I can't really go anywhere."

"What do you mean? Should I just go to your house?" The lump in my throat grows bigger.

"No…"

"Then where?" A deep breath and then SEND.

"The hospital." He doesn't reply, but I know he's seen it. It shows it at the bottom that he has. I squeeze my eyes shut and hit my phone on my face, clenching my teeth. That's when the ringtone I set for Ahomine went off. I open my eyes and gulp.

"I'll be right over."

* * *

I keep my eyes closed as the door is opened carefully, light flooding into my room. My eyes twitch a little, but I hope Aomine doesn't see that.

He closes the door after about a minute, his footsteps coming over to me. I gulp slightly as I feel him lean over me, his stare piercing my flesh. That's when I hear it. His breath hitched.

"Damn it, Bakagami…What happened to you?" His voice was soft and gentle, full of sadness as well. This made me guilty.

I feel a hand on my face, rubbing soft circles on my cheek. This made me wonder what he was feeling. His hand was shaky and gentle. I could hear Aomine gulp down his emotions as he leaned down, putting his head on my chest.

"I should have known…There was something wrong…I-I should have known. I'm sorry, Taiga. I'm really sorry…" My eyes open as I hear a sob coming from the tanner boy. I look down at him and smile sadly, putting my hand on his head.

"It's okay, Aomine. It's not your fault." He froze, lifting his head stiffly. He looks me in the eye, the same look in his blue orbs as all the other times. I couldn't take it.

"What does that look mean, Aomine? I don't get it." He just shook his head and leaned in closer to my face, making me go stiff. "W-what are you do-."

"Shut up, Baka. Just, please shut up." Before I knew what was going on, Aomine kissed me.

I just sat there, confused on what was going on. I reached up and pushed him away, gulping.

"W-what was that?!" I wince in pain, clutching my side, "Guh…"

"Kagami, tell me what happened." I look down, sitting up slightly.

"Go turn on a light and I'll tell you."

Aomine nodded and got up, going over to the light switch and turned it on. Once my room was illuminated, Aomine saw my wounds.

His eyes widened as he comes back over, making a sad smile creep up on my face.  
"Taiga…Who did this to you?" My answer was immediate.

"My dad." Before Aomine could say anything, I continued to talk, "I think you should hear the story I couldn't tell you before."

He nodded and sat down on my bed next to me, his eyes trained on the stitched up cut on my face.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes for awhile before I say anything else. Aomine just continues to stare, his eyes moist and red from crying.

"There's no easy way to tell you this, but here I go. It all started before I was born." I gulp as my throat went dry, "My mom…she was never supposed to have a child."

"But then, how did she have you?" I put my hand up, squeezing my eyes shut. For some reason, telling Aomine hurts a lot more than when I was telling my teammates.

"We don't know, but the doctor said that if she didn't have an abortion, she'd die at a very young age. Dad tried to convince mom to get rid of me, but she really wanted me. I…was the thing she wanted the most." I feel myself start to cry, but I don't care. I need to do this. For mom.

Aomine scooted closer, holding both of my hands in his. I sniffle and wipe my eyes, seeing that doing that was useless since tears just kept coming.

"Just take your time. I will wait." I nod and put my face into his shoulder, gripping his shirt. My body started to shake as I try to hold back the tears. Aomine started to pet my hair, whispering comforting things. I couldn't hold it in. I started to sob.

"T-then dad never came home…he hates me. H-he would go to work and then go to a bar just so he wouldn't see me. I-I hate myself because of that."

"You shouldn't feel that way, Kagami. A lot of people care about you." I nod and clench his shirt fabric even more, my knuckles going white. Aomine took hold of my hands and pry them off of his shirt. "Taiga…listen to me. So many people care and love you. Including me. Ever since I met you, I knew that you'd be the one I was looking for in a rival. I never expected to feel this way towards you though. Now, please. Tell me everything."

* * *

It took half an hour for me to stop sobbing enough to even mutter a word out. Aomine just tried his best to comfort me, and him doing so made me even more upset. After the long while, I finally wipe my eyes and pull my face out of the crook of Aomine's neck, looking him in the eye.

"N-no one has ever said that to me before." His eyes widen at this.

"What?" I shake my head and smile sadly at him.

"I think I should finish the story." He nods and pulls me close, kissing my forehead. This made me blush slightly.

"So, my dad would avoid me at all costs until I turned 8. That was because…on Christmas morning, I went to go wake up mom, but she…she wouldn't wake up." I stop talking for a moment to let that fact sink in, seeing Aomine's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates, "That's why I hate Christmas. It was the start of this all.

"Once dad came home, he asked me why the presents weren't opened and why dinner wasn't ready. I just said that I was waiting for mom to wake up, so he went into their room and…when he came back out, he just announced that mom was dead and left for a bar. I slept next to mom that night, thinking that she might've woken up, but she never did."

There was another kiss, but it was planted on the wound on my face. I smile slightly and close my eyes.

"I'm sorry. Go on." I nod and grab the styrofoam cup and take a sip of water.

"The day after mom had died, dad came home and was shitfaced. I tried to make him something to make him happy, but he was trying to get into the fridge and I was in the way so he hit me away." I take a deep breath as I hear my words start to quicken. Aomine hushed me and pet my hair again, making me relax a little.

"He liked the feeling of the power he had against me and started to beat me. That night started a routine of him coming home, skipping the drinking, and just beating the shit out of his own kid."

"Taiga…I'm sorry." I shake my head and smile at Aomine, making his eyes start to water.

"Oh, it's not your fault, Aomine. And I haven't even gotten to the worst part." The Touou player just gulped and let his head hang. I kiss his head, starting the story up again.

"After awhile, he made one of his female employees teach me how to put on makeup so no one would ask why I had a black eye. She was fired three weeks later. Two years later, when it was my tenth birthday, I asked dad if he could not beat me since it was my birthday. He said that we could do something even more fun than that and…he…" I trail off as tears started to roll down my face once again. Aomine kisses my cheeks and rubs circles on my face with his thumbs. The same look in his eyes that I still don't understand.

"You can tell me anything. I will NEVER judge you." I nod and gulp, another lump in my throat.

"He…dragged me into his room and…and he raped me. He started to rape me once or twice a month and it's been that way ever since. And whenever he comes back to "visit" me, the cycle starts up again." Everything went silent as I finish. This worried me until Aomine spoke up.

"Why haven't you gone to the police with this?" My eyes widen and I shake my head.

"N-no! He'll get mad! He'll hurt me more!"

"How many times has he raped you since he's been back?" I gulp and look down, ashamed that it happened.

"Once…almost twice."

"How was it almost twice?"

"He was going to, but then Kuroko came over unexpectedly." Aomine nodded and hugged me. I close my eyes and hug back, not saying anything when I feel a certain wetness spread over my shoulder.

"It's okay, Daiki. I'm just glad that none of my friends have to experience anything like this. I glad that I was able to tell you. And I'm glad that you will never have a life like this."

"How could you say that, Bakagami!?" Aomine practically chokes out. I smile and hug him closer.

"Because I wanna protect the one who's important to me."

* * *

**Done. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I got other stuff to do! I have a life! XD At least in my world I do.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello my fellow fans! :D It's the eighth chapter already?! Oh my gosh! Well, just read and enjoy! There's still a LOT more to come. ^^ ~Sweet-Lemonade**

* * *

Everyday after I told him about my childhood, Aomine came to visit me all day. It was pretty nice having someone to talk to all the time. Sometimes he would bring food that I actually liked instead of the nasty ass hospital food. And sometimes, he would bring flowers to replace the dying ones he got a couple days before. It was a sweet gesture.

"Oi, Taiga. When are you getting out of this place?" Aomine had taken up the habit of calling me by my first name.

"I don't know. All they've told me is that I can't play basketball for two months, which sucks." Aomine nodded, grunting slightly.

"Guess we can't play one-on-one for awhile." I nod sadly, looking out the window. "Hey, Taiga. I have something I wanna ask you."

"Yes, Aomine?" I look over at the Touou ace, seeing the serious look on his face.

"Why didn't Alex and Himoru call the cops on your dad before." My eyes widen and I gulp.

"Why do you ask?" He scowls and scoots his chair closer to my hospital bed.

"I'm just curious to know why they would let you pretty much suffer." I look away, itching around one of the cuts on my chest.

"Okay, I told them not to. There. It's not their fault."

"I'm still wondering why they would listen to you." I scowl and sit up, not daring to look at Aomine.

"I threatened to kill myself." We didn't say anything for a long while. I'm guessing my confession was a little shocking to Aomine. It's not like I expect him to understand. If he did, then I'd be worried.

"Has your dad been found yet?" I nod, my shoulders slumping.

"But…they don't know that he did this to me."

"What?" I gulp at the anger clear in Aomine's voice. I yelp as his hand grabs my shoulder and makes me look at him.

"What do you mean that the police don't know he did this?!" I start to coward back, thinking that I was gonna get hit.

"I-I'm sorry! P-please don't hurt me!" Aomine's eyes soften and he lets go of me, slumping back into his chair. He runs a hand through his hair and groaned.

"Sorry, Taiga. But please explain why you didn't tell them." I look down and sigh.

"W-well…they asked if I had any family here and I just told them about dad and they said that they'll find him so that he…would be able to see me." I see Aomine twitch from the corner of my eye.

"I'm telling them." My eyes widen and I shake my head quickly.

"N-no!" The sound of Aomine's teeth being ground together echoed through my room.

"Taiga, no matter what you say, I am going to tell them exactly what you told me."

"You do and I'll hate you forever."

"That's something I'm willing to live with as long as you're safe."

* * *

I just lay there, silent as Aomine flips through his Mai-chan magazine. That's when there was a knock on the door before the head police chief came in. Aomine flopped his head back to look at the man, a bored expression on his face.

"Mr. Kagami."

"Hello, officer Aomine." Daiki waves to the officer, hiding his magazine.

"Hey, dad." Mr. Aomine smiles at his son, then looks at me.

"Mr. Kagami-."

"You can call me Taiga." He nods and takes his hat off.

"Taiga, we have found Kagami Shijo, but he didn't want to see you. He was too upset." I nod, seeing Daiki scowl hard.

"Dad, I have a question." I gulp as Mr. Aomine kneeled down next to the tanner teen.

"Yes, son?" I feel myself start to sweat a little, scared that Daiki was gonna say something.

"Do you have any leads to who did this?" Damn it…

"No, I haven't done any questioning yet." I was so tempted to punch him. Mr. Aomine walks over to me and stands by the foot of my bed.

"Daiki, could you please leave. You can stay only if Taiga wants you to." I sigh and nod.  
"Daiki can stay…since I already told him everything." The tan boy smiled and held up a little recorder, making my eyes widen.

"And if you don't tell the truth, I'll just give this to dad." I scowl and look away.  
"Fine, Ahomine! It's not like I'd lie about this!" Daiki raises an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. I gulp. That was such a lie. I only realized that after I said that.

"Oh, really? Even though you lied to me for 3 weeks about what was going on. I had to wait until you were in the hospital to get the answers I was looking for!" I gulp and look down, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Sorry, Aomine…I was just…scared." The Touou ace's eyes soften and he nods, leaning back in his chair.

"Right…I'm sorry." I smile and tilt my head slightly.

"What do you need to be sorry about, Daiki?" He didn't say anything, he just closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. Mr. Aomine sighed and pushed his son out of the chair, planning to sit down when he saw the Mai-chan magazine. Daiki smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding his dad's piercing glare.

"Aomine Daiki, what is this?" Before the teen could say anything, I spoke up.

"I-it's mine, Mr. Aomine." The two Ahos blink and look at me. I blush and look away, holding out my hand. The older one hands me the stupid magazine and sits down, patting his son's head.

"I'm sorry, son. I just thought that you started to look at those again after we told you not to." Daiki nods and smiles faintly.

"It's okay, dad. I know that you're just looking out for me." I look down at my lap and smile sadly. I've always wished that I would have a dad like that, but I figured out long ago, that will never happen. At least Aomine is able to be with his dad without being beaten or raped, and for that…I'm very grateful to know him. That way, I'm able to at least imagine what it's like to have a normal family.

* * *

"We'll go at your own pace, Taiga. If I'm going too fast, just speak up, okay?" I nod and watch as the officer in front of me takes out a small notepad. Daiki was sitting on the foot of my bed, patting my leg gently. This made me smile faintly, but not noticeable enough for either of them to say something.

"So, how old are you?" That's a strange question…

"16."

"What is your birth date?" I raise an eyebrow, but don't say anything.

"August 2nd, 1998." Mr. Aomine nods and smiles at me.

"Okay, you passed. I was asking because I just have to make sure you are who you say you are, yet I don't think you'd lie." I nod slowly, too drugged up to process anything he just said. The Touou player noticed this and laughed.

"Dad, he doesn't understand that. He's on so many pain killers that he can barely understand the questions." I nod, smiling down at the ground. It was Mr. Aomine's turn to laugh.

"Oh well. I'll explain later. Next question, do you live alone?" I start to nod, but stop.

"Well, usually yes, but dad is visiting, so right now, no." With a quick nod and the scribbling sound of pencil on paper, the officer continued.

"Do you have any enemies? Anyone who would have a motive to try to kill you?" I went silent, not really knowing how to answer that.

"I-I don't really know. I'm sorry." He just smiles and ruffles my hair, making me flinch, thinking that he was gonna hit me. He noticed this.

"Were you beat up as a kid?" My eyes widen and I look down.

"Y-yeah…"

"By other kids or by an adult?" I grip onto my arm, my way of clinging to reality so I don't go through my memories.

"B-by an adult…" There was a sad sigh and a pat on my shoulder.

"I am truly sorry. Who was the one who beat you?" I bite the inside of my cheek and look out the window, clenching my sleeve even harder.

"M-my…dad." Everything went silent as I said this. I could tell that Mr. Aomine was at a loss for words, considering he saw my dad today. My dad always puts a mask on whenever he's with people. The only ones who know how he really is is Alex, Himuro, mom, and I. But the difference is, when he was with mom, that mask went away and he would be happy. She always knew she was taking a risk marrying a sociopath, but she loved him. I guess mom was dad's shelter and…pretty much his savior. Once she was gone, he became cold and wanted to seek revenge on the one who took her away from him, meaning he would do anything to make me suffer.

"Are…are you sure it was your father." Before I could say a thing, Aomine spoke up.

"Yes, he is sure. I believe him because when I was over at his house one time, his dad downed almost a whole bottle of scotch. He also seemed really angry even though he was smiling and being nice towards me." His father nodded and sighed.

"Could you please explain why your father acts like that? Or do you not know?" I smile sadly and turn to face him.

"He's actually a diagnosed sociopath." The two Aomines eyes widen and their mouths drop. "H-how could he…"

"He's a really good actor. That's why he gets away with everything."

* * *

**I'm gonna stop it there. I know, I'm evil and I'm sorry. Don't worry, though. I'm on a roll right now and I'll _TRY _to bang out the next chapter soon. Until next time! -Sweet-Lemonade**


	10. Chapter 10

**Told you I was on a roll.**

* * *

It took a good 2 and a half hours for Mr. Aomine to ask me ALL the questions he had. When he was done, he just sat there, hanging his head. This made me feel really bad.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Aomine." He picked his head back up and looked at me, the same look in his eyes that Daiki has.

"Why should you be sorry? It wasn't your fault at all." I rub my arm, looking away.

"It kinda is…"

"How?" I gulp and look away.

"I'm the reason mom is dead…" There was a moment of silence before anyone said anything.

"You…killed your mother?" I nod, but the tanner teen cut in.

"He didn't. His dad just told him that because…Kagami Yasashii was never supposed to have a child." My eyes widen and I grab Aomine's hand.

"How do you know my mom's name?" He holds up a folder, opening it to show me my DNA test. I see a picture of my mom and dad standing together, my dad looking actually happy as he held my mom in his arms. I gulp as I see mom's belly sticking out a little. This made me smile sadly. I point at her stomach and look at Aomine.

"She was pregnant…with me." He blinks and looks at the picture, smiling when he finally sees that.

"Ya know, you're mom is actually really pretty." I blink and stare at Aomine who just smiled faintly at me, "I guess that explains why you're so cute."

My eye twitches, making Aomine laugh.

"I'm not cute. I'm a guy. Guys aren't supposed to be cute!"

"Whatever, Taiga. I think you're cute and that's that. Ain't nothin ya can do to change my mind." At the end of his sentence, Aomine stuck his tongue out. I scowl and try to smack the back of his head, but he moves. I try again, only to wince in pain.

"Now now, Taiga. Lay down and rest." I scowl and pout, turning away from Aomine. His eye twitches and the next thing I know, I'm pinned down to the bed. My eyes widen, my mind going straight to the thought of dad.

"D-don't! I-I'm sorry! P-Please don't! I-it hurts! I-I don't like this! P-please let me go!" Aomine did as I said, his hands shaking a little. I feel a finger wipe my cheeks. Huh…I didn't notice that I started to cry.

"Taiga, I'm sorry." I just blink and look up at him.

"But Aomine, you didn't do anything wrong. And look at it this way," I smile at him, "I at least have you and that makes me happier than anything."

* * *

After Aomine and his dad left the hospital, the doctor that saved me came in. I sigh and lay down, feeling more tired than I should.

"Yes, Mr. Doctor." He chuckles and grabs the clipboard off of the hook on the foot of my bed, clicking his pen before he started to write something down.

"I'm just here to tell you, Mr. Kagami, that you will be released tomorrow at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. May I ask if you have a place to stay?" I look up, thinking about someone who wouldn't mind if I crashed at their house. I bite the inside of my cheek, thinking about only Aomine. But…I've already troubled him enough.

"Not yet. I'll ask some people though." He nods and smiles at me.

"That's good. Just remember this, Mr. Kagami. You are very lucky that you are alive and that is because you were put on this earth for a reason." I nod and wave as the doctor leaves the room, waving back and turning the light off for the night.

I grab my phone off of the nightstand and start to write up a text. Before I could think, I hit the mass text button. That's when I realize that I sent it to Aomine as well.

"Shit!" Within the first few minutes, I got a reply. I bite my lip as I open it, seeing who it was from. Of course, it was from Aomine. I grit my teeth and hit my face with my phone, pissed that I will be more of a bother.

"Bakagami. You can stay over at my house." I sigh and quickly reply.

"It's fine, Aomine. Kuroko said it'd be fine if I stayed at his house already." The reply was immediate.

"Hell no. You're staying with me. My dad's a cop and you'll be safer here." I groan and roll over on my side.

"I said it's okay. Thank you for everything, though." I was about to set my phone down when it started to beep.

"Taiga, no matter what you say, you are going to stay with me. It's your safest bet." I was tempted to bang my head on my bed.

"Aomine, please."

"Please what? I just want you to be safe."

"I'll be fine at Kuroko's house. You don't have to worry."

"Taiga. I swear to god. You ARE staying at my house." Why won't he just let me stop being a burden? I sigh, seeing that he wasn't gonna give this up.

"Fine…I'll stay with you."

"Good, Tiger. Now, I'll come by and pick you up. I'll have my mom pick us up and go by to get your stuff. I'll go in with you, and then we'll head to my house, sound good? Oh! And I'll bring by Maji Burger too." I smile faintly at how happy Aomine seemed.

"Okay, okay. I got it. See ya tomorrow."

"Bye!" I sigh and quickly tell everyone that I had a place to stay. I yawn and turn off my phone. I looked at the now dark piece of technology, a small smile on my face. I look around before I quickly kiss the screen and set it down. Within seconds, I fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

**There we go. Done. Until next time! ~Sweet-Lemonade**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm so sorry. I've been procrastinating lately because I have the stupid Constitution test coming up and it's just...asdfghjkzcvbnmqwertyuiop. Well, I'll try to update sooner. **

* * *

It was the morning of my discharge. I was trying to put my clothes on, needing a nurse to help keep me steady. That was probably the most embarrassing moment of my life. Once I was done, my whole face was bright nurse didn't mind.

"Don't worry, sir. I've had to do that to SO MANY other men before." This didn't help.

"I-I know. I-it's just embarrassing…" I cover my mouth with my wrist and look away, not being able to hide the blush. The nurse laughs.

"You know, you're really cute." This made me blush even more.

"W-what!?" She just laughs again and winks before walking out of my room. I gulp and sit down on my bed, playing with my new iPod that Aomine and Momoi gave me. A small smile made its way on my face as I look on the back, reading the quote once again.

My eyes started to feel heavy. I lay down and yawn, getting slightly mad at myself. What the hell is wrong with me? I just got up an hour ago! I sigh and close my eyes for just a little bit, but they snap open when I hear a familiar voice.

"Well, Taiga, I hear that you're staying at a friend's house. I guess you won't be able to spend time with me then." I look over at the person who just came into my room, fear clear in my eyes.

"D-dad…" The man in front of me nods, twirling the knife in his hand.

"That's right. I'm just here to…see you off." I gulp as he comes closer, pointing the knife towards me. I start to back up, but almost fall off the bed. I look over and see that even if I did get up, it wouldn't help. He was blocking the only exit.

"G-get away from me! I'll scream!" A smirk formed on his face before he lunged toward me, putting duct tape over my mouth. My eyes widen and before I could react, he put the sharp knife to my neck. A lump formed in my throat as I feel my neck start to bleed slightly. My dad just smirks and leans in close, whispering in my ear.

"I'll forgive you for everything and keep you alive if you tell all your friends that you were lying." I shake my head slightly, tears rolling down my cheeks. His smirk disappeared as he took the knife from my neck and stabbed it into my arm. My eyes widen as I try to scream, the duct tape muffing it.

"How about now, Taiga?! You wanna do as I say now?!" I squeeze my eyes shut, groaning loudly. Dad was never a patient man, so when I didn't answer right after he asked me, he yanked the knife out. I bite my lip and groaned more, tasting the coppery flavor of blood in my mouth. I still didn't give him an answer. Dad just clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"I guess you won't come quietly. Then I'll take you silently." My eyes snap open and I gulp as the knife is pressed against my neck once again, making it bleed more.

"Goodnight, Taiga."

* * *

"Taiga! Wake up!" My eyes snap open, sweat dripping off my forehead. The shear fear of what just happened made me start to cry. I put my hands on the sides of my head and grip onto my hair, sobbing as I try to regain my sanity. I feel a hand touch my shoulder. I jump and look over at who was touching me. That's when I see Aomine, the sad look in his eyes. I just cry even more and reach out to hug him, making him smile slightly. He leans down and puts his arms around my waist, rubbing my back as I cling to him and cry into his shoulder.

"Aomine. Dad was…knife. Blood…dad…" The Touou ace just shushes me and sits down next to me. He kisses my head and pulls away to look me in the eye, a small smile on his face.

"Don't worry, I'm here now. I'm sorry that you had a bad dream, but when you are home with me, I'll make sure that you're safe. You can wake me up whenever you have a bad dream, okay?" I nod slightly and sniffle, rubbing my eyes.

Aomine smiled and hugs me as he runs his hands through my red locks. This soothed me in a strange way, but at this moment, I don't care. All I know is that I'm safe and sound when I'll be with Aomine. And I'm very happy about that.

* * *

"Thank you for choosing this hospital! We hope we don't see you again for a long time." I laugh slightly at the joke one of the nurses made and wave. It had taken about two hours before I was able to leave, but Aomine and I were finally starting off towards Maji Burger. His mom told him that she was gonna meet us there after she was done with her shopping. We were both fine with this, but it started to become a pain since I needed to use crutches. Aomine would help me when I would stumble though, and that was good because I stumbled a lot.

Once we got into Maji Burger, he lets me sit down as he goes up to order us something to eat. I look around at all the full tables, feeling my eyes soften as the people staring at me look away. My head hangs as I feel everyone's attention directed towards me once again.

"Oi! Kagami! I got you the burgers you wanted!" My head shoots up, seeing Aomine sitting down. He grabs his two burgers that he ordered and gave the rest to me. I just stare down at the plastic tray of food, not feeling hungry at all.

"Hey, you should eat. It's not good to starve yourself." I nod slowly, picking up one of the burgers. I unwrap the fatty food and take a bite, feeling my stomach start to stirr. I gulp hard as the burger starts to come back up. Aomine saw this, his eyes soften. He ruffles my hair and takes a bite out of his burger.

I swallow hard and put down the piece of food, pushing the tray away slightly. I look down, my lips trembling as I feel Aomine's stare on me.

"I-I'm sorry, but I'm full." Aomine just nodded sadly and began to eat my leftovers. We sat in silence until a group of girls stared towards us. I look up and see them red faced and shy. This made me gulp slightly.

"W-what happened? D-did you get into a fight?" I open my mouth to tell them a lie when, of course, the Aho had to speak up.

"His dad tried to kill him. Now go away." They all looked shocked, but nodded and did as Aomine said. I glare at him and hit him over the head. He scowled and was about to hit me back, but stopped himself.

"What was that for?"

"For being an Aho! But…" I sigh quietly, knowing that the girls were staring at us now, "C-can you please call your mom so we can go…?" Aomine nodded and grabbed his cell phone, dialing his mom's work phone. With a few simple words, he hung up and got to his feet.

"C'mon, Kagami. We'll go get your stuff and go home, okay?" I blink and smile faintly at the word home.

"Yeah…I'd like that."

* * *

**Done. In the processes of writing this chapter, I have gotten my sister into this ship. :3 There's no turning back for her. Lol, until next time! -Sweet-Lemonade**


End file.
